Malaysian Youth and Sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin has reassured fans that the national squad’s safety will be prioritized as they prepare to face Palestine in Hebron later this month.
This comes after FIFA rejected FAM’s appeal of having the venue for the match shifted, which was a response to an incident that took place in Hebron recently. Five Palestinean teenagers were killed in a tragic attack during a funeral procession last weekend.
Khairy was quick to point out that Malaysia have the option of withdrawing themselves from the match, 24 hours before it kicks off, though he remains confident of the assurances that have been extended by Palestinean authorities.
“If we receive news of any unwanted incidents happening along the route that will be taken by our team, I would immediately stop them from going to Hebron,” he told Bernama.
“We will be working closely with the local authority to monitor and look after the safety of our players. Of course, we will take extra precautions as well, to be safe.
“I’m confident that they would be safe in Palestine. I’ve spoken to the Palestinean ambassador in Malaysia and he will be personally accompanying our team from the Jordanian border to Hebron.
“The Palestinean government will also facilitate our team’s passage through checkpoints that are controlled by the Israeli regime,” he added.
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